


Of Fate's Spellings

by sendoffire



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Coffeeshop AU, Cute, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, M/M, Pre-Slash, Student AU, Student!Sergey, Valentine's Day Prompt, cuteness, this pairing is weirdly soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 14:52:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17789453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sendoffire/pseuds/sendoffire
Summary: Don't you just hate it when the barista spells your name wrong on your coffee cup?





	Of Fate's Spellings

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's everyone! This prompt has been in my notes for a while, but since today is THE day for fluff I finally got around to writing it.
> 
> Dedicated to all of my fic Valentines aka ma pebbles (you know who you are <3)

The bell dings, singing its short but chirping tune, and when the door closed, Sergey turned around to take in the cozy atmosphere of the coffee house.

 

He always popped in here whenever he could on his way to the university campus, because everybody knew that Screamin’ Beans had the best hot beverages in the area (although, Sergey reckoned, the name did not do them justice).

 

The owner of the place was one Daniel Ricciardo, who used to be a student in the local university just like Sergey was now, but then decided that the English Literature course will not take him places, and instead settled on opening an artisan café for students – his own way of ‘giving back to the community’.

 

Sergey knew Dan a bit, as much as a regular customer can know the owner, so he immediately spotted him behind the counter, fussing over a new cashier guy that Sergey has never seen before. Joining the small queue, the blonde peeked at the intern curiously, looking at how the latter took the order of an elderly woman, seeming rattled and nervous.

 

The guy had a bit unruly, short dirty blond hair and very bright blue eyes. His lips were plump and rosy, Sergey could even think ‘kissable’ but his own integrity did not allow for that.

 

While the queue was moving, Sergey noticed how Dan almost never left the intern’s side, being needed back at the counter almost every second, be that because the younger guy forgot how to enter the amount into the computer or messed up the pattern on some lady’s latte.

 

When it was Sergey’s turn to order, the new guy looked visibly tired and on the verge of collapsing from his nerves. Nonetheless, he composed himself in front of a new customer and smiled shakily at Sergey.

 

“W-Welcome to Screamin’ Beans, what can I get you?”

 

Offering him a reassuring smile, Sergey briefly looked over today’s specials, before answering.

 

“May I please have an almond cookie and a medium tea, all take-away.”

 

“Sure,” mumbled the younger man, carefully entering the order into the computer in front of him. Glancing at his shirt, Sergey caught a glimpse of the name-tag that presented him with the name ‘Max’. A second later, however, the intern turned away towards the coffee machines, looking for a pot, when suddenly Daniel appeared next to him again.

 

“You forgot to ask him which type of tea he’d like,” offered he quietly, leaning in towards Max’s ear. The younger man immediately became red as a tomato, nodding quickly and scrambling to grasp the cup in his hands and turn back to the blond man in front of him.

 

“W-would you like black tea o-or white tea, sir?” He asked in a shaking voice, barely keeping it from breaking.

 

“Um, black, please,” replied Sergey, offering him another smile in an attempt to cheer the young man up. Max just nodded, seeming too wound up to notice anything around him, and moved to get the correct tea bag out of the box and pouring hot water over it.

 

While the tea was brewing, the young blonde clumsily reached into the counter window with some forceps and picked one almond cookie, wrapping it in parchment paper. Putting it on the counter, Max turned back to put a lid onto the cup and bring it back, setting next to the cookie.

 

“That is six pounds and five cents please,” informed he, not looking at Sergey. The Russian reached into his pocket and got out two five-pound bills, offering them to Max.

 

“Keep the change,” said the blonde, taking his cookie and tea. “And by the way, I think you are doing great, don’t be so hard on yourself.”

 

Max’s awe caused by the generous tip was quickly replaced with rosy cheeks and a shy smile, that made something inside Sergey’s stomach do a flip. Winking at the intern, Sergey turned around and moved towards the exit, however still thinking about the mop of dirty blonde hair and those shiny eyes.

 

______

 

It’s been a couple of weeks now since Sergey first ‘met’ Max in the coffee house, and by now he has already learned his shifts’ schedule, going to the café every day.

 

So today, which was a Tuesday, the Russian definitely knew that it will be Max behind the counter, and so approaching the small shop tucked in on the corner of the building, the blonde almost jumped from one leg to another with anticipation.

 

Sure enough, when he entered, he immediately spotted the familiar dirty blonde hair moving there and back while serving the customers. The queue today was a bit longer than usual, so it took Sergey a couple of minutes before he reached the counter.

 

“Hi,” offered the Russian, smiling at Max.

 

“Hey!” sad Max in return, returning the smile.

 

“I’ll have a cappuccino and a cherry brownie, take-away.” Sergey already knew the price for that combination, so he immediately reached into his pocket for the needed amount. While he was doing that, Max already prepared the brownie and, after a pause, asked hesitantly:

 

“C-could I get a name please?”

 

Sergey frowned in surprise.

 

“I thought you guys aren’t doing the names system, since It’s too ‘Starbucks’ for Dan,” smirked the blonde.

 

Max gulped and nervously toyed with the end of his uniform shirt.

 

“Yeah, but then this way I get to learn your name.”

 

Sergey made an ‘oh’ sound and let that sink in for a second, before quickly looking Max over and grinning. Reaching over the counter, closer to Max’s face, the blonde murmured.

 

“Ok, deal! However, I extend the offer: you get bonus points and my phone number… If you can spell my name right.”

 

Max blinked twice, searching the older man’s face, but then smirked.

 

“Easy!”

 

Sergey winked at him. “The name is Sergey, pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

 

Max’s face dropped, which was actually pretty hilarious. The Russian wasn’t sure what the other blonde was expecting, but he could tell it was definitely not that. Still, not wanting to lose his pride, the younger man nodded and found a pen in his pocket, opening it and bringing to the cup, before stopping for a second.

 

Sergey watched in amusement how the intern contemplated with the spelling, mouthing his name as if trying to magically make it appear on the carton material. After half a minute Max seemed to give up and quickly scribbled something. Then, reaching to pour the cappuccino Sergey ordered into it, he slid the cap on and reluctantly offered the beverage to Sergey.

 

The Russian smiled and took a step to the side, quickly finding an empty table to sit at. Not caring about his brownie, he turned the cup around to look at the scribbles.

 

Max’s handwriting was messy, just like his hair, but he could still make out the letters, and almost laughed out loud when they finally came together into a word: _Sergay_.

 

Looking up, the Russian caught Max’s nervous gaze on himself, although the younger man quickly averted his eyes and blushed intensely while serving some student his tea.

 

Smirking, Sergey downed the cup in a couple of gulps and fished out a pen out of his backpack, leaning over the now empty cup.

 

When Max came by to clean the table, Sergey was nowhere to be seen, only chocolate crumbles and an empty cup left on the wooden surface. Cursing himself for being so naïve and stupid, the blonde grabbed the trash and stomped into the kitchen to throw it away, when he noticed another writing beneath his own.

 

Turning the cup in his palm, Max read the neat and round text that adorned the side: _I am, actually. Hope you are too. x_

And a phone number written beneath it.

 

Max squealed happily, almost throwing the piece of carton in the air, but then deciding against it, instead clutching it in his hands like the most expensive treasure.

 

Quickly getting his phone out of his back pocket, he opened his contacts and pressed ‘New Contact’ icon, typing Sergey’s number in, titling it ‘Sergay’.

 

A minute later, Sergey’s phone buzzed during his lecture, a couple of miles away from the coffee shop.

 

_Wanna find out how much gay are we tonight? 7 p.m., my place, I’m cooking x_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are always welcomed and appreciated :)


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